Buffalo Stampede 100K

Race strategy

Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.

• 917m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
• Big early climb with 1150m gain. Hold your pace, save your legs for later.
• Final 814m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
• Long race. Control your HR and effort. Early mistakes cost the most.
• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 75.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 90.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• Start · 0.0km–1.7km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
• Settle in · 1.7km–18.2km · Climb of 833m, descent of 917m averaging 9%. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
• Work · 18.2km–38.1km · Descent of 319m averaging 9%, climb of 1149m. Plus 1 more climb. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them.
• Fade · 38.1km–90.5km · 28.8km of runnable trail, high point 1691m, descent of 1034m averaging 13%, climb of 778m. Plus 1 more climb and 1 descent. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Running pays off here: run wherever you can. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
• Home · 90.5km–99.8km · Descent of 814m averaging 9%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.

Course

By gradient, 37% of the distance is uphill, 43% downhill and 20% flat. The longest climb runs 11.6km at an average 9.9% grade (1149m of vertical). The longest descent runs 9.8km at an average 9.3% grade (917m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 30.4% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 34.4% over 0.3km. Surface: 42% trail, 39% smooth, and 16% road.

Poles

Poles bring little benefit here: only about 17.4km of pole-friendly terrain.

Quad damage

Quad damage risk is high (index 51 of 100), with 40% of the load in the first half: 3 critical descents, the last of them run on already damaged legs. Downhill-specific preparation and a controlled early pace pay off here.

• Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 75.2km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 90.5km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
• #1 · 8.4–18.2 km · 917 m D−, -9.4% · 81.6 km ahead → control
• #3 · 22.9–26.5 km · 319 m D−, -8.9% · 73.2 km ahead → control
• #2 · 66.9–75.2 km · 1034 m D−, -12.5% · 24.6 km ahead → control
• 78.8–82.9 km · 342 m D−, -8.4% · 16.9 km ahead → your pace
• 90.5–99.8 km · 814 m D−, -8.8% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end